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| Task not easy for weak, divided Congress | | Election in Ladakh | | Neha
JAMMU, Apr 20: The people of Ladakh will go to the polls on May 7 to elect their representative to the 16th Lok Sabha. The Congress has fielded ex-MLA T Samphel in the constituency and the BJP ex-MP Thupstan Chhewang, son-in-law of the Queen of Ladakh, Rani Parvati. Samphel is the coalition candidate. Till the other day, it was believed that the election would be between the Congress-NC combine and the BJP and the former had an edge over the latter. The belief stemmed from the fact that Samphel enjoyed the support of Rigzin Jora, a minister in the Omar Abdullah Cabinet and the Ladakh Automous Hill Council, Leh.
Things changed dramatically in the region on Saturday with two very influential candidates from Kargil, district Congress president and former MLA Zanskar Ghulam Raza and Aga Syed Kazim Sabri also taking the plunge and filing their nomination papers for the 4-Ladakh Lok Sabha seat in Leh. Raza was backed by a Congress leader and chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Asgar Ali Karbalai, and powerful Imam Khomenie Memorial Trust. Islamia High School, Kargil, which also commands considerable respect, is also there to play its own role. There is also the possibility of the PDP -- which has little or no support-base either in Kargil or in Leh -- extending support to the Islamia High school and Imam Khomenie Memorial Trust-backed candidate. After filing his nomination papers at Leh, Raza claimed that he was very confident of his victory as bulk of the people in Ladakh admires him. "I have a political experience and have represented Zanskar in the assembly in the past…The Congress did not give mandate in Ladakh keeping in view the people's aspirations," he was quoted as saying. He also asserted that "the position of the Congress in Ladakh was strong but the party gave mandate to a losing horse" (Samphal) and said that "now with Raza in the field, we will prove what we can do". The JKPCC has not taken kindly to this development. As a matter of fact, JKPCC vice-president and MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga said that it was "unfortunate that Karbalai was acting against the interests of the Congress" and that the "party would serve a show cause notice to him and take disciplinary action against him".
As for Sabri, he enjoys the support of Anjuman-e-Imamia, Leh, and Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam (Ahle Sunnat wal Jamait), both influential religious organizations of the Shiite Muslims. In fact, leadership of both these religious organizations accorded a very warm welcome and hosted a breakfast for Sabri, after he reached Leh to file his nomination papers. The entry of Raza and Sabri has made the contest quite interesting. If they remained firm and not withdraw from the contest under pressure from the Congress leadership and other interested groups, both religious and political, the Shiite votes would get divided. It is difficult to say that Raza or Sabri could win the election, but their presence could surely upset the applecart of T Samphal. And once it happens, the chances of Chhewang would considerably improve. The BJP has already been working overtime to ensure the victory of Chhewang. Two other factors - apart from the entry of Raza in the fray - are also working against the Congress candidate. One is the Narendra Modi factor in Ladakh in general and the Buddhist-majority Leh district and Zanskar tehsil in Kargil district in particular. The other is the Congress's U-turn on UT status to Ladakh. The JKPCC president, along with the NC, the PDP and the CPI-M, leaders has rejected the demand of the local Congress leaders seeking UT status for Ladakh - a U-turn that has angered an overwhelming majority of the people. In sum, it can be said that the task of the weak and divided Congress in Ladakh is not that easy. |
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